先生の気持ち: teacher's feelings
by SmilesLasting
Summary: sasusaku; Only a silver bracelet and their childhood memories substantiate the connection that began to dissipate seven years ago. SenseixStudent AU
1. PROLOGUE

[A/N] YES! Kick-start to my first chapter story. Also, if you're not familiar with Japanese, "Nii-chan" means "older brother". Happy reading~

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><p><strong>先<strong>**生の気持ち****  
>(sensei no kimochi)<strong>

_- teacher's feelings -_

_._

0. PROLOGUE

.

"Nii-chan, look!" The little girl pointed a bandaged finger at the sky. "Is it gonna rain?"

The teenage boy lifted his head and glanced up towards the darkening clouds. He gazed at the palette of gray with dark, expressionless eyes. "I think so. Let's head back, Sakura, before it gets dark. Your parents are probably wondering where you are."

"They don't really care about me, but okay," Sakura said obediently. Then she blushed. "Can you… can you hold my hand, nii-chan?"

His skeptic expression made his words sting even more: "Sakura, you're eight years old now. You don't need to hold my hand."

"I'm sorry…" She dropped her hand. The silver chain bracelet that she wore almost fell to the ground. Sakura felt as if her chest was threatening to burst, and within the heartache she felt a dark realization: Nii-chan was getting farther and farther away every day, and she just wasn't growing up fast enough to catch up to him.

"It's okay, you don't need to apologize for that. But you're growing up, you know?" He smiled, forgiving her, and began leading the way back.

As Sakura followed him, she watched him as if she were utterly captivated: her emerald eyes were drawn to his confidently steady walk, his perfectly erect back, the way his midnight-colored hair moved with each step. He had always been bigger, but at this moment he seemed to tower over her. He'd suddenly grown so much this year, and lately he didn't have much time to play with her, the usual reason being "I need to study for the high school entrance exams." Now that he had been accepted into his top choice school, he had no more cause to worry until the school year started. He had time to spend with her. But the few weeks of spring vacation had flown by, so the few moments they could spend together right now was very special. Soon Nii-chan would be gone.

Sakura hurried to continue the conversation, trying to ignore her eyes' threat to tear up. "But Nii-chan is growing up too. You're starting high school this year…" His footsteps were so much bigger than hers, she realized as she looked at the ground his feet passed over. How could she ever catch up to him like this? Every day made her realize more and more how he wasn't going to slow down for her. "Eto ne, I feel like you're leaving me behind…" _Like you're going to forget me when you start high school. Like you won't care about me anymore, or you'll just decide you can't wait anymore._

The older boy slowed to a stop, taking her words literally. "Aa, sorry. I keep forgetting you're so much smaller…" he said, looking back with an apologetic smile. Then he paused. "Sakura, are you crying?"

"I'm not… I'm not crying…" she protested. But the tears couldn't stop as she wiped at them in vain.

He sighed. "You were never very good at lying." He walked over towards her and got on his knees, making himself a bit more than level to her height, and wrapped his arms around her in a loose hug. "What's up, Sakura? What did I do to make you cry?"

She began sobbing. "Because you're leaving, Nii-chan!" she murmured into his chest. She gripped the front of his shirt and she cried into the soft blue fabric. "You're going far away, and you're going to forget about me."

He chuckled. Did he find her words amusing? "You were worried about that?" he asked.

"Of course!" she cried through sniffles. "Because Nii-chan will be very popular with the girls, and get a girlfriend, and won't think about me at all anymore."

"How could I forget my 'little sister'?" he asked her softly, and stroked her soft hair. "You with this ridiculous hair. I won't forget this horrible pink color for the rest of my life."

"You're mean," she whispered. She sighed.

He patted her back. "I know. Only to you, though."

"Yeah." She pulled herself away from his embrace and wiped the last tears away with her sleeve.

Then he placed his hand on her head. His hands were very big now. "Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded. He stood up and wiped the knees of his jeans, covered in dirt. "Then I'll walk you home." He turned and began walking. "Coming?" he asked, looking back at her with a smile that meant many different things, too many for her eight-year-old brain to analyze and understand. But it didn't really matter at all right now, these little things like trying to decode a curve of lips, because the boy she loved was holding out his hand towards her.

She returned his cryptic smile, and they walked the rest of the way home with her hand enveloped in his fingers' warmth.


	2. BENEATH THE CHERRY TREES

[A/N] This was very hard to write… I'm kind of having writer's block, but a few people sent some really supportive messages to me recently that got me motivated, and I finally got this done. Thank you! So, I finally present to you the first real chapter of Senoki (SEnsei NO KImochi), a.k.a. Teacher's Feelings. Lyrics are from F.T. Island's "SOYOGI".

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><p><strong>先生の気持ち<br>****(sensei no kimochi)**

_- teacher's feelings -_

_._

1. BENEATH THE CHERRY TREES

_We met, and from the start I knew  
>this deep and strong feeling of loving you<em>

_._

Haruno Sakura opened her eyes to the rays of sunlight through the open window. Morning had forced its way into her room. With a sigh, she sad up and sleepily rubbed her eyes.

She got out of her warm bed reluctantly and headed for the shower. She undressed and stepped in the spray of steaming water, letting its heat stimulate her to fully wake up. She washed her face, shampooed and conditioned her waist-length hair, and took a minute or two to simply stand still and enjoy the feeling of rushing water against her skin. Then she made herself step out and dry herself off with a towel.

She returned to her room and stood contemplating in front of her closet. Finally, the day had come. She reached in and pulled out the thick hanger holding her uniform for Konoha Gakuen: a button up white blouse, a green tartan skirt, a dark green neck ribbon, and black knee-length socks. She put them on slowly, piece by piece, taking in the feel of each piece of clothing. When they were all on properly, she assessed herself in the full-length mirror.

So this was a high school uniform, huh? Sakura pulled at the neck ribbon nervously. She felt strangely old suddenly, wearing the uniform she had always admired as a child. When she was younger, she'd envied the short skirts and cute neck ribbons of high school students, but now that she was in them, the burdening feeling of responsibility weighed heavily on her shoulders. She was a high school student now.

Just one more thing to finish the picture: she reached into the drawer of her desk and pulled out a small box. She took off the lid and gazed at its contents silently for a moment. Then she took out from inside the box a slim chain bracelet of sterling silver, from which dangled a single tiny crystal cherry blossom. It was something like her lucky charm.

"_Happy birthday_," Nii-chan had told her when he gave her the box. "_This is my gift for you, Sakura."_

Sakura smiled at the bittersweet memory. That birthday was the last before Nii-chan had moved away, seven years ago. Yet even now, after so many years, she was still chasing after him.

She checked the clock. 7:33. There was still plenty of time until she needed to start walking over to school. She'd woken up earlier than usual because now that she lived by herself, she didn't have a mother to come check on her and yell at her to hurry up. She wondered vaguely if she should call home. It had only been a week since she'd moved into this small apartment by herself, but she missed her mother's voice already. Still, this had been her final decision.

For the sake of finding Nii-chan, she had taken the entrance exam for Konoha Gakuen, the high school he had attended. It was hours away from the rural area where she lived with her mother. Sakura knew her search was basically hopeless; Nii-chan, at this point, should have just finished his fourth year of university and had probably already started working. There was really no chance of finding him when she didn't know where he lived or even his full name, but for some unknown reason, she'd felt like she needed to come to this school regardless of anything. It had taken a ton of effort and time to convince her mother to allow her to go live by herself far from home, and Sakura had taken up part-time jobs during all her breaks in her last year of middle school to save up money for the tiny apartment she was currently renting. There was no turning back now that she had come so far.

Sakura put on her dark brown penny loafers and opened the door. It was a beautiful day, with singing birds and shimmering sun. Sakura pulled up the strap of her black shoulder bag and closed the door behind her as she set out towards school. The cherry blossom trees swayed peacefully in the wind, their pink petals swirling gently as they fell to the ground. Sakura caught one of the petals in her hand and looked at it with sad green eyes, and was suddenly reliving a memory.

"_Ne, Nii-chan, the cherry blossoms are so pretty!" She twirled in her dress as the pink petals danced in the air around her. She caught a few in her palm and then blew them into the air, as if they were snow._

_The older boy smiled, sitting on a bench at the side of the road. "Mm," was all he said._

"_Ehh. Don't you think they're pretty?" She walked over to him and pouted._

"_I do," he replied, patting her head. "I just happen to know a flower even more beautiful."_

"_You're lying. Nothing is prettier than cherry blossoms, Nii-chan."_

"_Nope, you're wrong. There is one," he countered. He stood up and began walking down the road._

"_What's that?" she asked as she ran to him, keeping pace so they walked side by side._

_He looked down at her with a smile that brightened his dark eyes. "It's a secret," he told her, holding a finger to his lips. "Maybe I'll tell you when you're older."_

She let the petal fall from her hand as she continued down the road. This road, with its lining of the cherry trees against the green grass, was eerily reminiscent of the one back home. But it wasn't the same. This path was asphalt instead of dirt, and the group of benches at the side was shiny and new, unlike the old crooked wooden one Sakura was used to seeing. A few pieces of brightly colored trash littered the area, ruining its otherwise natural beauty.

And, most painful of all: Nii-chan wasn't here.

A few people walked past her, and she couldn't help but take a second look at any dark-haired male passersby. She tried to suppress her hope, but she couldn't deny that all she wanted right now was to see Nii-chan, her most important person, waiting for her on an old wooden bench like he always did.

Sakura quickly dissolved the thought. There was no way, no chance. Just because she had come to Konoha Gakuen didn't necessarily mean she was going to find him. Why did she keep expecting to see him? But it was some kind of deep intuition, a feeling that something big was going to happen today, that made her keep checking anyone she saw on the asphalt path. The silver bracelet was cold against her wrist as she took each step towards her first day of school.

Ten minutes later, she found herself at the school gates. She walked in cautiously, unsure of where to go, and ended up just following the rest of the crowd. A few of the students gave her curious glances as she joined them at the huge board that showed the designation of classes. As she searched for her name under the first-years' category, Sakura's face grew hot from embarrassment. Of course people would be shocked about her hair. It wasn't every day that you met someone with a head the color of bubble gum coupled with emerald eyes.

"Ne, is that your natural hair?"

Sakura turned to see a girl with a long blonde ponytail and baby blue eyes. "Yeah," Sakura answered.

"Seriously?" the blonde asked, a perfect eyebrow raised high. Sakura got the feeling this was a girl who was very careful about her looks.

"I'm not lying," Sakura said, a little forcefully.

The blonde smiled and held out her hand. "I believe you. I'm Yamanaka Ino. Class 1-C. You?"

Sakura took it, and they shook as she replied, "I'm in 1-C, too. Haruno Sakura." Their hands separated.

"Let's be on a first name basis. I don't like being formal," Ino said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her pierced ear. A simple golden hoop adorned the lobe.

Sakura wondered how she would look with pierced ears. "I'm fine with that. Since we're in the same class, I guess we'll be sitting together at the entrance ceremony?"

"Oh, yeah. That's soon, isn't it? Let's start walking over. The other students told me it was in the courtyard." Ino began walking, leading the way. This girl was clearly one with a lot of confidence.

"The ceremony is being held outside?" Normally they were held in the school gym.

"Why not? It's a gorgeous day."

That Sakura couldn't argue at all.

The student body gathered in the huge grassy lawn beneath the cherry trees situated at the side of the school. Hundreds of chairs were placed in neat rows in front of a large wooden stage. Chairs lined the back of the stage, waiting empty for the teachers who would sit in them during the speeches. Most of the front rows on the grass were already taken by the returning students, every one of whom would be Sakura's senpai in the upcoming year. Sakura and Ino hurried over faster, as almost all of the chairs were taken already.

"First years, please sit according to your class!" called a woman with wavy black hair, wearing a pale pink collared shirt and a black pencil skirt. She stood on a pair of black pumps, and the ID card hanging on its green lanyard around her neck read YUHI KURENAI. "There are signs at the end of each row with the class number, so please find your row and sit until the ceremony begins!"

Ino and Sakura found the row designated for 1-C. In the last few chairs, there was a boy whose hair reminded Sakura of sunflowers. He was speaking loudly to a blushing dark-haired girl who sat beside him. The conversation seemed mostly one-sided, Sakura noted as she took the seat on his other side. She decided to cut in and save the poor girl, who looked totally flustered.

"Hi," Sakura said, patting the boy's arm. He turned and Sakura saw the blond boy had incredible blue eyes. She continued, "My name's Haruno Sakura. _Yoroshiku onegai shimasu_." It was safer to speak politely, right? Sakura was completely unsure about these matters—these city people were different from the people she knew in the country.

"Oh, hey! I'm Uzumaki Naruto. _Yoroshiku!_ You don't need to speak politely to me." He grinned widely, displaying white teeth. "You can just call me Naruto."

Ino also introduced herself. "I'm Yamanaka Ino. _Yoroshiku._ I guess we're all classmates, huh?"

"Seems like it," he replied cheerfully. "Let's get along this year."

Sakura leaned over and spoke to the girl sitting beside Naruto. "What's your name?"

The dark-haired girl blushed, making her pale skin pink. "My name is Hyuuga Hinata," she said. Her voice was very… cute. Soft and sweet and very delicate.

"_Yoroshiku onegai shimasu._" Sakura told her, and gave her a warm smile.

"M-me too! _Yoroshiku onegai shimasu."_

"Oh, look, I think it's starting!" Ino said, pointing a manicured finger at the stage. A woman with blonde hair tied in two loose ponytails was walking up the steps onto the stage. All the students began clapping respectfully upon her entrance. Sakura wondered who she was as she clapped. The blonde woman looked relatively young, maybe in her late twenties, and her incredible bust seemed to threaten to pour out of her fitted V-neck blouse. The other teachers followed behind her in a line and quietly took their seats on the chairs on stage.

"Good morning, students of Konoha Gakuen!" the woman said, her voice booming in the microphone with which she spoke. "You will address me as Tsunade-sama! I am your principal. My vital measurements and my age are both a secret, but anything else you need to ask, please refer to your student council. They are the group of students sitting here, in the very first row." She gestured to the group of students seated in front of her. "You can tell them apart from the other students by the gold band on their neck ribbons or ties."

Sakura blinked twice. The principal of this prestigious school was unexpectedly a rather eccentric woman. But Sakura couldn't deny that this Tsunade-sama certainly had incredible charisma and a natural arrogance that befitted her role as the leader of a high-class school.

The woman continued, "I will now introduce the homeroom teachers, beginning with the first years'." The older students grumbled and she quickly cut them off. "Stop complaining. I'm in charge here. Be thankful I'm not giving a big long speech. Anyway, for class 1-A, Sarutobi Asuma. He teaches history and is also the supervisor for the archery club." A man with a trimmed dark beard and tan skin stood up, waved, and sat down again. "1-B, Yuhi Kurenai, who teaches Traditional Art." The dark-haired woman from earlier stood up briefly. Some of the male students grinned at the sight of the pretty teacher. "And, lastly, 1-C, Uchiha Sasuke, who teaches Japanese Literature and will supervise the Judo club. He's a new teacher, so take it easy on him, kids."

This teacher that stood up this time had pale skin, contrasting with his black hair. It stuck up in the back messily, and his expression was indifferent as he gazed over the audience before taking his seat again. A few of the girls giggled and whispered in each other's ears, pointing at him, no doubt due to his beautiful features. He had milky skin, high cheekbones, and eyes the color of midnight. He was utterly captivating, even as he simply sat as still as stone in his chair. Sakura couldn't make herself look away from her new homeroom teacher.

And then suddenly, with a small turn of his head, Sakura's green gaze met his black. Their eyes locked. A shock seemed to run through Sakura's chest and her lips moved as if of their own accord, letting loose a single word.

"…Nii-chan?"


	3. THIS OLD NOSTALGIC FEELING

[A/N] I'm sorry for being a slow updater...

Lyrics are from "...Kimi e" by Miyano Mamoru!

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><p><strong>先<strong>**生の気持ち  
><strong>**(sensei no kimochi)**

- _teacher's feelings_ -

.

2. THIS OLD NOSTALGIC FEELING

_you were by my side for a long, long time  
><em>_even now, that straight gaze of yours can shake my heart_

.

"Now all you guys need to do is follow your homeroom teachers to your classrooms. Good luck to you all this year and don't forget that while studying is important, having some fun won't hurt you. Having said that, do not dare do anything that will ruin the reputation of this school. Have a wonderful first day of orientation. That is all." She put down the microphone and walked off stage amidst the loud clapping of the audience. The teachers took her cue and followed her down the wooden steps. Both former students and admiring first-years swarmed a few of the popular teachers as soon as they stepped down onto the green grass. Uchiha Sasuke was surrounded by group of girls as he made his way over to the row for class 1-C.

Sakura watched him with wide green eyes. That hair, that posture, and those inky eyes – there was no way she could be wrong. It had been seven years already, but he still looked like the Nii-chan of her childhood, though even more handsome than she remembered. The atmosphere around him had changed a little bit; he seemed more mature and—Sakura blushed a little at the involuntary thought—even sexy, dare she admit it, especially with the first few buttons of his dress shirt left teasingly open. He was a bit taller, probably a little less than six feet tall now, but Sakura felt a sense of satisfaction. She'd grown a lot during their time apart. He wasn't so much bigger than her anymore. Of course, she was still much shorter, just about reaching his shoulder, but it was a major difference from the days when he had more than a foot over her. Sakura grew more nervous as he approached. She as very aware of every stride his long legs took, of how his black pants fitted his slim legs and how his arms swung slightly with each step. Simply put, he was beautiful. What should she say to him after such a long time of never seeing each other? What would he say to her? Would he notice that she was wearing the silver bracelet with its dangling cherry blossom that he had given her? Would he maybe give her a hug like the old days?

Sakura smiled expectantly as he approached 1-C's row. Their eyes met, and again, Sakura felt the strange rush in her chest that left her breathless. Was it happiness? Just shock? Sadness? Her lips parted slightly, prepared to speak, ready to reunite after seven years like she'd always dreamed of doing.

But then he turned away, as if she were no more than just a person he would pass by on a street.

Her heart jolted painfully. No, no. Surely, he just hadn't recognized her yet…? She reached out her hand to grab the back of his shirt. "W-wait! Nii-ch—ahh!" The other girls in her class roughly pushed her aside before her hand could make contact with the pale blue cloth. She fell to the grass and sat there frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened as she blankly stared at the dark knee-length socks of her classmates. Their high-pitched voices allowed no peace as they attacked the dark-haired teacher with endless interrogation about his personal information.

"Ne, ne, Uchiha-sensei, do you have a girlfriend?"

"Oh, wow, up close you look like you could be a high school student. How old are you, sensei?"

"Sensei, you're pretty tall! What's your height?"

He was exasperated, but he gave them a small, professional smile. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't answer questions from my students that aren't related to school." With a sigh, he added, "Let's head over to the classroom, now." He started walking towards the open doors of the school. The girls were quick to follow him, grabbing his arms and asking more questions he wouldn't answer, as the rest of the class lagged behind. Ino was in the front ranks by the handsome young teacher, leaving Sakura behind on the grass. Sakura felt vaguely betrayed, but decided it wasn't worth it to hold a grudge. She was starting to get to her feet when Naruto approached her, holding out a hand.

"They really knocked you down," he said, laughing as he pulled Sakura to her feet. "Sorry about laughing, it was kind of funny. But it did look painful."

"Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked, her tone concerned. She helped Sakura brush off some of the dirt on her back.

"Ah, yeah, I'm fine. I didn't know girls could be like that," Sakura said meekly. The three of them began following after the rest of the class as she continued, "I never met girls who were so fierce."

"Ah, well, that's Konoha for you!" Naruto told her enthusiastically. "We have the craziest people around."

Sakura agreed with him. "The principal seems like a pretty interesting person, too," she said.

"Oh, her?" Naruto grinned widely. "Yeah, she's so full of herself, isn't she? But she's a great leader, that Baa-chan."

"You call her Granny?" Sakura asked in disbelief. Hinata also looked surprised. "Even though she's so young?"

Naruto's blue eyes twinkled. "Hmm? She's actually really old, in her fifties."

"Eh?" Hinata's pale eyes were wide.

"No way." Sakura gaped at him in disbelief. "That's not possible. Are you serious?"

He let out a little laugh. "She has some kind of secret technique. And some really good genes."

"Are you guys related, then? Since you call her Baa-chan…"

"Nah. I know her 'cause she's friends with Jiraiya." At Sakura's lost expression, he explained, "He's my guardian here. I live with him."

"Guardian? Why aren't you with your parents?" Sakura asked.

"They died when I was a baby," Naruto said, and his expression softened.

Sakura paled. "Oh… I'm sorry," she said, unsure of how to respond. She looked over at Hinata to see her reaction; the girl's expression went from shock, to sadness, to sympathy.

"Aw, no, don't be!" Naruto said quickly. "It's not a touchy subject for me. I mean, I was just a baby, so I don't remember them at all. Oh, speaking of family, Sakura-chan, I thought I heard you say _Nii-chan _or something earlier. Do you have an older brother here?"

"Eh?" Sakura was again reminded of Uchiha-sensei's indifferent expression earlier. Maybe he wasn't Nii-chan after all…? But there was no way she could have mistaken those eyes of his. "No, I don't have an older brother. I just… thought I saw someone who looked like a guy I used to call Nii-chan when I was a kid. Didn't turn out to be him, though." Of course, of that she wasn't sure, but right then she didn't feel like explaining everything about her long-lost first love to a boy she had just met.

"Is that so…" The look on Naruto's face was one of skepticism, but thankfully he didn't question her.

As the class walked into the school and up the stairs behind Uchiha-sensei, Sakura watched the way her new homeroom teacher's back as he led his students to the second floor. The pure midnight color of his hair and the way it stuck up characteristically in the back—she couldn't have been mistaken. Uchiha-sensei was definitely Nii-chan. But then why hadn't he recognized her? Why had he just ignored her completely like that?

It wasn't possible that he had forgotten her… was it?

Sakura felt like crying. He'd promised. Nii-chan had promised he would never forget her. But what other answer was there? She was positive that she was the only girl Nii-chan could have ever known with pink hair; it was her number one trademark. Sakura had never met anybody else who had her hair color in her life. That and the fact she was wearing the bracelet he had given her for her eighth birthday should have been enough to spark his memory.

It just didn't make sense.

"Sit anywhere you like," Uchiha-sensei said as the class entered the classroom marked 1-C. "We'll be assigning seats tomorrow." The girls were quick to choose the desks at the front of the classroom. The rest of the class idly walked over and took the other seats as the teacher began the orientation. He gave brief summaries about the classes, what to expect from them, the weekly assigned duties, homeroom, and the general schedule.

One girl raised her hand as soon as she had the chance. "Yes?" Uchiha-sensei asked.

"Will it be possible for students to stay after school to ask the teachers questions about the class if they didn't understand something?" she asked, gazing at the older man with a smile that meant much more than simple friendliness.

Uchiha Sasuke was smart enough to avoid the trap. "Teachers will decide which students need help and talk to them about extra lessons. Also, as long as students pay attention and spend their time wisely in class, there should be no need for them to approach teachers afterwards. Konoha Gakuen isn't a school for people who want to slack off. If you a capable student eligible to enter this academy, there should be no problems with comprehending the material."

Her smile faded and she meekly looked at her desk. "Yes, sensei."

"Any other questions?" Uchiha-sensei then asked, glancing around the room.

_I… really want to talk to him. _Sakura shook a little, but, though hesitant, she put her hand up.

"What's your question?" he asked, not unkindly, but sounding totally indifferent.

"Could sensei… spare me some of your time after orientation?" Sakura asked, timid.

He gave her a skeptic look. "What do you need me for?"

"It's, um… about my position as the class president…" It was a tradition for the top student in each class was its president. The official inductions into the student council hadn't occurred yet, but it was a valid excuse. Sakura mentally patted herself on the back.

Uchiha-sensei pulled at his tie. "Ah, you're Haruno Sakura, right? The scholarship student. Alright, see me afterwards. Any other questions before I dismiss you all?"

As a few curious students raised their hands, some of the girls turned around to glare at Sakura in her seat at the back of the classroom. Sakura knew what they were thinking: Why does a girl like that get to take sensei's time? But their envious looks turned to smug expressions—they obviously didn't think much of her. She was, after all, rather plain. She had striking hair and eyes, but it wasn't like she was beautiful. She was no competition, that's what they were thinking.

Sakura silently vowed to prove them all wrong.

"You are all dismissed. There's a surprise event going on outside to celebrate the start of the year, so I recommend all of you to go." Uchiha-sensei pointed towards the row of windows. The students turned and peered out of the glass, and saw a huge bonfire in the stead of the stage and chairs where the entrance ceremony had taken place.

"A bonfire!" they cried, and hurried out to join the other couple of students who had gotten out earlier.

Sakura remained in her seat as the class rushed out. Naruto lagged a little, and was the last to leave. He gave her a worried look before he closed the door behind him.

The teacher and his student were quiet as they listened until the sounds of the class's footsteps had disappeared.

"Uchiha-sensei… it was a lie to say I wanted to ask about my role as president." Sakura said softly. She pushed her chair back and stood up, her hands on her desk. "It's just… I have a very important question to ask you, and I didn't think it was appropriate to ask in front of the rest of the class." He had his back towards her. Sakura continued anyway, and stepped closer towards him. "You can stop me anytime." She took a deep breath in, trying to calm herself. "Uchiha-sensei… you're Nii-chan… right?"

He finally turned around, slowly, and met her eyes. His midnight gaze was complex and hard to read as he looked at her.

Then his lips curved into a small, sad smile. He silently opened his arms. Sakura wanted to cry as she threw herself into his embrace. Held-in tears began to fall as she pulled herself closer to him, tightly wrapping her arms around him.

"Nii-chan…" she murmured into his shirt. He smelled wonderful. This... his embrace was just as she remembered, this old nostalgic feeling.

He patted her head. "How have you been, Sakura?"

She pulled away then, and looked at him angrily. "So you did know! You knew it was me but you… I was so happy to see you after so long, and then you just ignored me… Do you know how much that hurt me? I'd thought you'd forgotten… forgotten me…" She began to cry harder. It was difficult to get the words out. "Even… even though you'd promised… Now I know that you were acting that way to keep our relationship a secret, but… it—it really made me so sad…"

"Like I said before, I'll never be able forget this horrible pink," he said. He reached towards her and pulled at one of the pink strand. He chuckled at Sakura's protesting shriek. "Your hair's gotten really long."

"I didn't really cut it much after you left, Nii-chan."

"You really shouldn't call me that," he said as he dropped his hand.

"Eh? I can't call you Nii-chan anymore?"

"Not at school." Seeing her fallen expression, he quickly added, "Don't be so sensitive, Sakura. I'm your teacher now. Besides... You'll always be my little sister in spirit."

Sakura smiled. "Yeah. But, um... will we be able to… meet up sometimes? Just once in a while... would it be okay? Is it not allowed?"

"I'll explain the our relationship to Tsunade-sama and see if it's okay. Can you wait until then to give an answer?"

"Yeah, I can wait," she said with a sigh. "More importantly, at least I finally get to see you after seven years… even if we can't meet anymore, I'm really happy to know you're okay. You just suddenly decided to move away, Nii-chan, leaving us behind… Mom was really worried about you, since you never contacted us since you left for high school. Ne, Nii-chan… I really, really missed you. Since... well, you're my most important person, you know?"

He leaned against the wall and looked away, covering a small smile and a very faint blush with his hand. "Yeah. Me too," he said, his words slightly muffled by his fingers. His eyes flickered towards her. "I missed you too... Sakura."

"Ehehe." She grinned widely, like a little child. "But we'll be together from now on."

He looked away again. There was a cloudiness to them that Sakura wasn't used to seeing. "Yeah..." he said as he gazed through the window with far away eyes. "Together..."


	4. HOPELESSLY IN LOVE

[A/N] Why is this story so damn hard to write? Sigh… Anyway, the more angsty stuff is coming up soon. Happy reading~  
>This chapter's lyrics are from "Kimi ni Todoke…" by May's (which is KnT's second season ending, if you might know it by that.)<p>

* * *

><p><strong>先生の気持ち<strong>**  
>(sensei no kimochi)<strong>

- _teacher's feelings_ -

.

3. HOPELESSLY IN LOVE

_an unrequited love is okay, to get hurt is okay  
><em>_no matter how many times it takes, I want to convey my feelings_

.

Sakura lifted the phone to her ear. "Kaa-san?"

"Sakura! I've been calling you for the past hour."

"Ahh, sorry. I was out shopping for groceries." Sakura lied flat on her bed and closed her eyes. It had been a while since she heard her mother's voice; she hadn't realized how much she missed it until now.

"Did you have any luck finding Sasuke-kun?" her mother asked. "That's partly the reason you wanted to go to Konoha Gakuen so much, right?"

Sakura couldn't stop herself from grinning. "Kaa-san, you won't believe this," Sakura said, excitedly, "but Nii-chan's my homeroom teacher!"

"Eh? Really?"

"Really! I'll even take a picture for you. I recognized him right away because of his hair." Actually, it had been his eyes, but that would've been too embarrassing to say to her own mother—it just made herself seem like a stalker. "We talked, too. He said he'll take me out for dinner some time."

"Oh, that's relieving," her mother said with a happy sigh. "I thought we'd lost him forever… Even if he's left our family, he's still my son at heart. But definitely, take a picture. I can't believe it quite yet."

Sakura laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll definitely get a picture. You know, he's still a lot taller than me. And apparently all the girls in my class think he's really hot. Remember how popular he was in middle school?"

"Girls used to drop by to see him all the time. Ah, well, it can't be helped. He's a handsome boy."

"Okaa-san, it's kind of awkward to hear you say that when you're so old…"

"I'm not old! How is it awkward in any way? Besides, you're the one who said you would marry him because you guys would make pretty children!"

"I was _seven_ when I said that!"

Her mother laughed. "You don't think he's good-looking now, though?"

"I do! He's the—" Sakura blushed as she quickly stopped herself. "He's pretty okay."

"There's nothing wrong with thinking that your brother is handsome, Sakura."

_But what if you're hopelessly in love with that brother? _"Whatever… well, anyway, I need to make dinner. I'm starving."

"Dinner? It's already nine o'clock, sweetie."

"I know, I know. I was just hanging out with a few friends since we didn't get any homework. It's the first day, after all, so I thought I should get to know people… I totally forgot about eating dinner."

"Well… alright. Make sure you eat a decently, then. Good night, Sakura. I miss you. Come visit home soon, okay?"

"Mm, yeah. Miss you too. Good night, Kaa-san." Sakura shut her cellphone and sighed. She'd already eaten dinner, but it made for a good excuse. She shut her eyes, feeling a little sluggish. Hopefully not every school day would be like this—discovering your first love who disappeared seven years ago suddenly shows up again your life in the most unexpected places. All of today's excitement had drained her.

Sakura forced herself to get up and head to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and ran a brush through her hair a few times. She gave herself a thorough view in the mirror, judging herself as she remembered the looks her classmates had given her earlier today at the orientation.

Well, at least she wasn't _ugly_. Her hair was definitely strange, and her eyes were sort of intimidating, but she didn't look totally weird, right? Her skin was clear of any blemishes, a fact she was proud about, and she was slender. Sure, she was kind of short, but her legs weren't stumpy either, and though she didn't have much volume on the chest and butt area, she had a tight, small waist, at least. Right? She wasn't that bad…

Oh, what did it matter? The reason she had searched for him all these years because she wanted to tell him her feelings, not because she wanted to make herself pretty for him.

The day he left, Sakura had planned to confess, but she'd lost her courage. The words wouldn't come out of her mouth: "I love you," and he'd left without knowing anything. She had never seen him as a "brother" the three years he spent as an adopted member of the Haruno family—he had always, always always always been a "man" for her.

Yet she'd acted like a coward and couldn't say the truth, that day seven years ago.

Since her failure, Sakura had prayed almost every night, promising that if she could just see him one more time, just meet him once more, it would be enough; she just wanted to be able to tell him. And, like a miracle, surely enough she met him again today. She had planned to give him her frank confession after orientation, but she'd, again, lost her chance, stopped by the look in his cloudy dark eyes that seemed to tell her, "Don't say anything."

But she wouldn't allow a third failure. Next time, she would get it right. She would tell him straight-out how she felt, no matter what.

A rejection was okay. Even if he hurt her feelings, it would be okay, because at least he would know. She couldn't be a coward for any longer; she wasn't an eight-year-old child anymore. There were no more excuses. That was the whole reason she came to Konoha Gakuen, after all: to find Uchiha Sasuke and convey her feelings.

With a sigh, Sakura headed back to her bedroom. The apartment she was renting was absolutely tiny, but it still cost a lot and drained her few savings. She would have to work more this summer break, she mused as she slid under the covers of her soft bed. It was only 9:45, but she was exhausted.

_Life is too difficult_, she thought as she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

…

"Just make sure to keep it a secret from the other students, otherwise I'm sure there will be a uproar... especially with the girls." Tsunade covered her eyes with her hand, indicating her weariness from the day's events. "I trust you, but don't try to do anything to ruin the reputation of Konoha Gakuen. I understand that you were adopted into her family, but still, the relationship you have with a "sister" you don't share blood with could grow into something… more than platonic. Please keep yourself in check." She pulled her hand away and sank into the black chair, her hazel eyes shut.

"There is really no need to worry about that," Uchiha Sasuke said with a faint smile. "Thank you for your time, Tsunade-sama."

She waved her hand as if shooing away a fly, and he took the gesture to mean, _Yes, yes, now leave. _He turned and started towards the door. He got in three steps before he was stopped by his superior's short sigh.

"Don't fall in love with her, Sasuke."

He paused for just a second. "Yes, Tsunade-sama," he said quietly. He continued forwards and shut the door behind him with slightly trembling fingers.

The hallway was dark. All the classrooms lights were turned off, and Sasuke could see that night had fallen through the clear glass of the windows. Tsunade had been busy all day, so nighttime had been the only available time to talk to her. He didn't mind the night, though, and reveled in the darkness as he started the route to the school's exit so he could go home.

As he walked down the hallway of the dimly lit school, the cellphone in his pocket began vibrating. He took it out and checked the ID.

Karin.

He flipped it open and brought it to his ear. "What is it?"

"_Sasuke!_ I've called you three times already! You always take so long to pick up the phone."

"I was talking with the principal," he said.

"Oh. Well, anyway, I called because I wanted to ask you to hang out tonight. I haven't seen you in _forever_."

Sasuke felt vaguely irritated. "I'm tired."

"Can't we just go out to a café and talk or something? It's been a week already since I last saw you. I don't need much. We can even just go for a drive, so please? Don't I get the right as your girlfriend to steal away some of your time?"

"Don't use that excuse on me."

"Hey, _you're_ the one who agreed to be my boyfriend."

"Only because you kept pestering me."

"You seemed lonely… And now _I'm_ lonely. Come on, Sasuke. Be a man."

Sasuke sighed, giving up. "I'll come pick you up."

"Really?"

"…Yeah." He didn't hate Karin, even if she was a bit annoying at times. Being with her for three years of college had gotten him mostly used to her absurdity, and they'd developed a strange sort of companionship during their time together. They'd gotten to know each other through a wide mutual circle of friends. She often claimed to have fallen in love with him at first sight, but when he had questioned her further about why she bothered him all the time, her answer had been, "You seem lonely." She really never left him alone, and deep down, he was grateful for her meddling.

And somehow she had even convinced him to start a relationship with her before he graduated.

He was perfectly content. Karin was an interesting person to be with, and being with her was comfortable. She was eccentric and fiery tempered, fitting with the fact her hair was an intense red; she cooked for him and took him out on dates, though she was busy too in her last year of university. He was happy being with her, and he was sure that the smiles she wore were genuine.

That's what made him feel so guilty.

"Are you at the dorm?" he asked as he turned the key in the ignition of his blue Mercedes.

"Yeah."

"I'll be there in a few minutes, then."

"Okay. I'll be waiting outside."

He shut the phone and stuck it into his pocket as he started backing out of the parking space.

Konoha was a nice town, and in the spring it was a sight to behold. Everything was ablaze with color, most a vivid variety of green. Even nighttime was beautiful, with the moonlight giving everything an almost ethereal glow. It was what he loved most about Konoha: the scenic peace; it was a place that had been his escape for many years.

Until today.

He drove the familiar route to the nearby university and made his way to the girls' dormitory parking lot. Karin was sitting on the bench at the front of the building, waiting. She grinned as he pulled in and hurried over to the car.

"Hey boyfriend," Karin said, laughing, as she slid into the seat and shut the door. She put her hand on his cheek and reached up to kiss him.

But as Sasuke kissed her back, he felt his heart twitch in painful guilt.

Because he didn't love her.

Because he _couldn't_ love her.

"Let's go," he said, quickly pulling his lips away. He put his hands back on the wheel and drove back to the road.

He was sorry because instead of loving Karin, he was in love with his little sister instead.


	5. WITH BITTER TEARS

[A/N] I have a couple other stories that I've been writing lately (including original fiction), so this story hasn't gotten nearly enough of my time—still, I got it done, so here you go! Sorry for the wait. Lyrics are from "Shelter" by Jejung & Yuchun from JYJ (I love JYJ fanatically, I totally recommend them to anybody who likes J- or K-Pop.) Happy reading~

* * *

><p><strong>先生の気持ち<strong>**  
>(sensei no kimochi)<strong>

- _teacher's feelings_ -

.

4. WITH BITTER TEARS

_is it okay to__ love you__? is it okay to embrace you?  
><em>_I feel as if I'm going to drown in my anxiety_

.

"Uchiha-sensei," Sakura called, peeking from behind the half-closed door of the classroom as the last sounds of the bell echoed through the hallways, announcing the end of the school day.

"Haruno-san," Sasuke greeted her, looking up with a small smile. "What brings you here?"

It felt like her heart was threatening to fall into pieces—but she couldn't lose courage now. She'd made her decision. "I want to go on a date, sensei," Sakura said, her green eyes focused on the tiles of the floor.

"Is this a confession?" he asked teasingly.

_Yes, it is, _Sakura mentally answered. Aloud, she said, "Please? Tsunade-sama said it was okay, right? I want to spend some time with my Nii-chan, since I haven't seen you in such a long time. And I have something I want to tell you… So… Can we?"

He acquiesced. "Okay. I'll take you out for dinner tonight, then. Can you wait a little bit while I put this stuff back where it needs to go?" He gestured to the piles of paper on the desk.

"Mmkay. I'll wait by the stairs," she said, waving a little before she left. She walked to the staircase slowly, her heart beating a little faster than usual. She took a seat on the top step and let out the breath she had unconsciously held. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

Today, she was going to tell him she loved him.

She was scared, of course. Completely frightened. She was telling her own _brother_ she loved him, albeit his being adopted. Still, it would change their relationship completely from what it was now… True, they had only been family for three years, but she had been in love with him for so many more.

Sakura sighed. It would be okay. If there's love, there's a way. Definitely. Definitely… right? Why did she feel so unsure?

…

"Was it okay?" he asked as he slipped on his jacket.

Sakura smiled as she followed him out the door. "Yeah, it was really delicious! Thank you for treating me. It's my first time coming to a place like this… It feels really high class," she said, and glanced back once more towards the huge window that took up half the entire wall. "We're up so high…" The people on the street looked like ants from their height at the top of the building.

Sasuke's lips curved into a small smile as he led them to the elevator. "This is where I come when I want to impress my date," he said casually as he pressed the triangular button on the wall.

"Don't tease me like that," Sakura scolded him, and looked away to hide her blush from his dark eyes.

"Isn't this a date?" he asked, teasing her with his seductive smile and midnight gaze.

"Well, I'm just your little sister," she said, waving it off. For now, at least.

"It's still a date," he said, and reached over to muss her hair.

Sakura blushed at the nostalgic gesture. "I'm not a little kid anymore, Nii-chan," she protested. Secretly, though, she loved the gentle way he touched her hair.

"Yeah," he said. "I know." His midnight gaze was disconcerting; Sakura turned her eyes to the tiled floor as he pulled his hand away.

They stood in silence until the elevator doors slid open.

Sakura nervously glanced at the older man as she leaned against the elevator wall. Why had he looked at her that way? She felt her face flush. It was like… he was looking at her straight-on, for once, meeting her eyes directly in a way he never had before. It made her feel like she had won his recognition—like he saw her as an adult now.

Sakura couldn't stop herself from smiling. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance of him accepting her confession?

The doors slid open and Sakura followed her brother to the parking lot. Sasuke opened the car door for her like a gentleman, and she laughed gratefully.

"I'm having a lot of fun," she said sincerely as Sasuke slid into the driver's seat on the other side.

He shut the door and slid the car key into the ignition. "Yeah?"

"Mm!" She grinned.

He smiled at her briefly, then changed gears and slowly began pulling out. Every movement of his was graceful—Sakura's eyes were admiring as she watched him. He was _beautiful_; there was no other word that described him as fittingly.

"Ne, Nii-chan…" she began slowly, and began twirling her hair with her fingers. It was a habit of hers that she did when she was nervous.

"What is it?" he asked, starting onto the street.

"Do you remember that I said I wanted to tell you something?" Sakura felt herself beginning to sweat. The anticipation was almost painful. Her mouth felt dry.

"Aa." He glanced at her, his inky eyes impossible to read, as always. "What do you want to tell me?"

"Promise… promise not to laugh, okay?" She put her hands on her lap and clenched the fabric of her skirt. She couldn't lose courage now.

"Aa?" He looked skeptical. "I promise not to laugh, then."

"Umm…"

"Just tell me, Sakura," he said, his tone teasing. "You're making me curious."

There was silence as Sakura turned and put a hand on her brother's arm. Her touch was light, but it was nerve-wracking just to let her fingers kiss the blue jacket.

Sakura took in a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. "Nii-chan… I love you."

Silence. His expression didn't change at all. Sakura dropped her hand from his arm as she looked at him, waiting for his response.

Then he spoke. "That's all?" he said, his voice light. "I love you too, Sakura."

"Nii-chan—"

"Siblings generally do, right?" He was avoiding her gaze, concentrating on the road instead.

It felt like the air had been squeezed out of her chest. "That's not it, that's not what I meant, you know what I—"

"_Stop_, Sakura." He tensed, just a tiny bit, but enough that Sakura could clearly see he was agitated. "I don't want to hear it."

She grabbed his sleeve, willing him to stop. "Nii-chan—"

"_I said_, _stop_." He didn't move away from her touch or look at her, but the rejection was evident, so much that it made her eyes sting with bitter tears.

"_WHY?_" She hadn't meant to yell. Sakura covered her mouth, surprised at her emotional outburst. She dropped her hand into her lap slowly. "…Why, Nii-chan?" she asked, this time softly. "Why can't I say…?"

He let out a frustrated sigh. "You're troubling me, Sakura."

"Why?" It seemed like it was the only word she could say. "_Why_…?"

He still wouldn't look at her. "Sakura, I have a girlfriend."

Sakura felt herself go cold.

"Do you understand? So don't unnecessarily throw words you don't mean at me."

Her composure threatened to snap in two. "You think I don't mean it?" Her voice was quiet, but it was an increasing heat—at the very edge of boiling. "You don't think…? Nii-chan, _are you stupid?_"

He grit his teeth. "Sakura, you don't understand anything."

"_I love you!_" she said, and pounded a hand against her chest. "It hurts here, you know? Do you know _how long_ I've been looking for you, searching for years… How much it hurt when you left? How_ happy_ I was to find you?"

"That's not 'love', Sakura."

"Why do you keep denying it?" Her voice was cracking as she spoke, but she couldn't stop the flurry of words that exploded from her mouth. "It _is _love. Every single bit is love." _Every glance, every touch, every heartbeat._ "Why can't I say I love you? Why do you have to deny it so much?"

"Because _you don't know what love is_," he said bitterly, his voice finally losing its calm essence. He was actually angry. "Don't think your little girlish notions are genuine, Ssakura. Don't be stupid. Stop lying to yourself. You're in high school, you're fifteen years old. There is no way you think your immature idea of love complies with mine. You don't love me, and there is no way you could."

She couldn't stop herself. Before she had realized it, her hand was already flying towards his face.

His eyes went wide as her hand made contact with his cheek. He whipped his head towards her and gazed at her in pure shock. She had never hit him before. "Sakura—"

"You're too much, Nii-chan!" she said as the tears began streaming down her cheeks. "It's enough to just say 'No', isn't it? To say, 'Sorry'. Say 'I'm in love with someone else'. That's enough, isn't it? That would be enough to hurt me, so why do you have to say things like 'You don't know what love is'…? Why? Why do you have to go so far to hurt me?"

She gripped his shoulder. "_You're_ the one who's stupid, Nii-chan. _You idiot_. Idiot, idiot, idiot Nii-chan! Stupid Nii-chan!"

"Sakura—"

"Let me out, Nii-chan."

"We're on the road, Sakura, that's—"

"I said, let me _out!_" She unlocked the car door manually and opened the car door.

"_Oi!_" He quickly maneuvered the car to the sidewalk just as Sakura's foot left the car.

"_You're the worst!_" was the last thing she said before she slammed the door. Sakura stalked away, wiping vainly at her eyes with her sleeve.

Why? Why, why, why? Why did this have to happen?

Why was Nii-chan so _damn stupid_?

She couldn't see that as she walked away, that stupid Nii-chan was sitting slumped, his fingers trembling as he reached up and squeezed his forehead.

"Damn it," he muttered to himself.

…

"Sakura-chan?" asked a familiar voice incredulously.

Sakura looked up and saw through her tear-blurred vision a boy with audaciously blond hair looking inquisitively at her.

"Naruto? What are you…" She saw the group of boys behind him, all looking at her curiously.

"I was hanging out with my friends," Naruto said. He turned and waved them off. "Go on without me, guys. I'm gonna stay here."

"Choosing a girl over us?" one asked teasingly.

"Of course," Naruto answered casually. The boys laughed.

"See ya, then" they said.

"Yeah."

They then walked away, shooting an occasional mischievous glance back at the pair. Naruto waited until they'd faded from sight before he turned back to Sakura with worried blue eyes. "What happened, Sakura-chan?" The concern in his voice was genuine.

Sakura threw herself onto Naruto and wrapped her arms around his chest, needing someone warm, someone to comfort her. "I… I got rejected from the person I've loved for years," she murmured into his chest. "And I reacted like a child…"

Uncertainly, Naruto returned the hug, though not as fervidly. "Really?" he asked, not knowing what else to say.

Sakura nodded and tightened her hold, gripping the cloth of Naruto's jacket in her clenched hands. "I bet he hates me now…" she wailed.

Hesitantly, Naruto's hand reached up to the girl's head. He paused for a moment, unsure, then let his fingers touch her. He gently stroked her hair, soothing her. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm sorry that happened. But Sakura-chan, I don't think anybody could hate you."

The two stood on the street, her crying into his chest, him comforting her, disregarding the disparaging looks of passersby and ignoring the wetness of his shirt. In that way, Sakura cried the hardest she had ever done in seven years.

Stupid, stupid Nii-chan, was the only thing she could think.


	6. A CRIME

[A/N] Lyrics from "Kimi ni gomen ne/Sorry to you" by Fei-P, sung by GUMI (my favorite vocaloid, kyahahaha, along with Len). I keep listening it to on repeat. It's my song obsession for the week, I suppose.

Ahh, I made Karin someone likeable here. I actually have nothing against Karin despite not liking her either, but it seems like a lot of people hate her. That's too bad, but you have your own reasons for disliking her so I'll just respect your decisions.

Without further ado, I present Senoki chapter five! Yippee! The first little chunklet takes place in the past. Hopefully it's not too confusing. I personally hate reading stuff that's all in italics so I left it. I think you guys are smart enough to understand it's in the past though.

* * *

><p><strong>先生の気持ち<strong>**  
>(sensei no kimochi)<strong>

- _teacher's feelings_ -

.

5. A CRIME

_I'm sorry I was stupid and a crybaby  
><em>_I'm sorry, but I still love you more than anyone_

.

It's very strange to love a girl seven years younger than yourself, isn't it?

Sasuke stared at his two hands. What was wrong with him? Here he was, nearing the end of his last year of middle school, and already having the biggest crisis of his life. He couldn't stay like this. He couldn't stay with her any more.

She was seven years old, and he was fourteen. This was wrong in any way he looked at it.

He hadn't meant to fall in love with her. He treated her kindly, as the younger sister she should have been. But even though she was half his age, somehow… Somehow, this strange desire had implanted itself into his heart.

He was messed up in the head, wasn't he?—for thinking of his _little sister_ this way. He must have some sort of crazy mental disorder. How else could he explain to himself this odd case of pedophilia? Sometimes he caught himself wondering how little Sakura look when she was older, in high school, linking her arm with his and walking down their favorite path amidst the blossoming cherry trees.

It was a stupid, stupid daydream, one he forced himself to smash into pieces.

He couldn't force anything on her—it was a crime. As her own brother and as a man seven years older, there was no way that being anything than her friendly, dependable Nii-chan could be possible. It just wasn't allowed.

But though his love for her was completely wrong, it haunted him constantly. When he caught sight of her flowing pink hair, he wanted to touch it and string it through his fingers, delighting in the feel of its softness. When she looked at him, green eyes wide and admiring, he wanted to gaze into them forever and lose himself in the beautiful emerald. When she smiled, those little curved lips made it feel like the world somehow shifted.

Because of this, he needed to leave. If he stayed, who knew what he would do to his innocent little sister. He wouldn't wait around to find out the answer, either. This was too dangerous of a game to play.

And so he mailed his registration letter to Konoha Gakuen and prepared himself to escape the Haruno household.

…

"Uchiha-sensei's your _brother_?" Naruto asked, pure shock making his blue eyes wide.

Sakura nodded. Her own eyes were itchy and swollen from last night's crying, and she had to resist from sleepily rubbing at them. Morning streamed in through the windows of Naruto's one-room apartment, giving light to its cozy messiness. Somehow they had made room for two futons on the floor for both of them to sleep on the disorganized floor. Sakura had refused to go home last night, and he had offered to let her stay at his apartment.

Naruto was really quite the gentleman, Sakura mused as she looked at him fondly. He hadn't touched her once last night. If only he would notice Hinata's apparent crush on him, now…

He interrupted her thoughts with a simple, heartfelt "Holy crap."

"I know," Sakura said, understanding her classmate's surprise. "But we were only family for three years. Then he went away for high school."

"I can't believe he was such a bastard to you. I mean, you're a student so dating your teacher is kind of not okay but still, he didn't have to be so mean to you, I mean, you've known each other for a long time even if he moved away but still, I mean, you've liked him all this time so he could've shown a bit of compassion but he really is just a cold-hearted bastard! Like, in class he always gives us homework no matter what and he won't let us distract him, and…"

Sakura's mind wandered away from Naruto's rant. She was tired, she was frustrated, and she was heartbroken. Naruto wasn't the best person to comfort her right now.

Why did Nii-chan think she didn't love him? Was he really such an idiot? Didn't he know how much courage it had taken to tell him that confession?

But even if he was cruel, she loved him.

If what she felt for him wasn't love, then what else could it possibly be? What else could make her heart beat so fast, and make her cheeks so red, and cause her to be happy at every little smile he shot at her? It was love, no matter what angle she looked at it from. Whenever she looked at her silver bracelet, she could feel it pouring out of her.

She loved him so much.

"…chan? Sakura-chan?"

"Huh?" Sakura lifted her head up and looked at Naruto searchingly. "Sorry, what?"

"Are you sure you don't wanna go home?" he asked.

Sakura slumped her shoulders. "I guess I should."

"I mean, if you want, you can stay, but… I think you should go home and rest." Naruto scratched his head. "And… uh… isn't it awkward being alone with me? I mean, in a guy's apartment. Like, I might jump you. Or something…"

For the first time since 7 PM last night, Sakura actually laughed. "Naruto, you? You jumping me? That's ridiculous!"

He twisted his lips. "I don't think it's that funny. I really might, you know."

"No, you won't." Sakura stifled her laugh and grinned at him widely. "I trust you too much," she told him.

Naruto's blue eyes grew wide. "Really? You do? Me?" He seemed happy.

He was kind of cute, this way, so eager for praise. "Yes," Sakura answered. "You're probably my best friend here."

"Really?"

"Yes. So thanks, Naruto, for being here."

The blond was blushing. Sakura wanted to squeal—he was really like a cute little toddler. "Any day, Sakura-chan, really! I'll always be here for you!"

She laughed again. "Will you really?"

"Of course!"

Maybe Naruto _was_ the best person to come to when she needed to be comforted, after all.

"Actually, Naruto, can you accompany me somewhere today?"

"Eh? Yeah, sure! Where?"

Sakura smiled. "Well… There's something I want to buy."

…

"Morning," Karin said, taking a seat beside Sasuke on the blue couch. "I let myself in, by the way," she added with a mischievous smile.

Sasuke just stared down at his hands, his dark eyes cloudy and lost as he gazed at his slim fingers.

Karin's smile quickly faded. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

He didn't deign to give an answer.

She decided to dig deeper. "Ger rejected by her or something?"

His head shot up and he gazed at her, his head cocked. "'Her'?"

"Your little sister."

_Why does Karin…?_ His gaze was questioning as he looked at her.

"I'm not stupid, you know. I put the pieces together," she said. "And you… say her name sometimes as you're sleeping." Her little smile was sheepish. "I knew from the start that you felt something for your adopted little sister. So, what happened? She really rejected you?"

Sasuke leaned back into the couch, his expression exhausted. "I wasn't rejected," he explained. "I was confessed to."

"What?" she said, surprised. "It should be a happy thing, shouldn't it? Why the hell do you look like you lost your soul, then?"

He took a moment to answer. "Getting a confession…was the last thing I wanted," he answered, staring at the ceiling of his apartment.

"Even though you're in love with her?"

"Why are you so calm about this, Karin? You're my girlfriend, aren't you?"

She imitated him and leaned into the couch. "I knew from the start you were in love with someone else," she said. She'd never expected him to love her, and knew he never would.

"Is that so," he said softly, his voice apologetic.

"Yeah. Like I said, I'm not stupid." She put her arms over her head, stretching them by reaching towards the ceiling. "It doesn't mean I don't love you, though. Keep that in mind."

His dark eyes closed. "Yeah."

"But seriously, why is it such a bad thing?" She put her arms back down again and turned towards him. "You always punish yourself, Sasuke." Always, always. He was such an idiot, depriving himself of anything he wanted. "If you both like each other, what's wrong with it?"

With his eyes still shut, he replied, "I'm seven years older. I think there's something very wrong with that."

Karin snorted. "Age is but a number, isn't that how the saying goes?"

Sasuke's eyes seemed to flash threateningly as they opened again. He turned and glared at his girlfriend with narrowed black eyes. "You think it's okay for me, a twenty-one-year-old man, to put his hands on a fifteen-year-old? Furthermore, she's my own student, and my adopted little sister."

It did sound a little wrong when he put it that way. But hey, love knows no bounds. "Well, she likes you, you like her. Why not give it a try?" she encouraged him.

Apparently, he refused to be encouraged. "She's too immature," he said, his voice on the edge of a snarl. "She's not experienced enough. She doesn't know what liking or whatever is. She's just convinced herself she's in love with me because I'm the first boy that she was close to."

"That _could_ be it," Karin conceded. "But, it might _not_ be. Girls are pretty damn smart, Sasuke. I think she knows what she's doing."

"I can't let her continue thinking that way," he replied tersely. "It's _wrong_, no matter how I look at it."

What an _idiot_ this boy was. "Other teachers do it just fine," she argued.

"I'm not like other teachers," was his argument.

"That's true. You actually really care about her, don't you?" She smiled. "She's not just a fling or something fun to do. She's your little sister."

He didn't reply, just turned his eyes back to the ceiling.

"So you rejected her confession, is that what you're saying?" Karin asked him.

"I did," he replied stiffly.

"She must have been hurt," Karin said, pressing her cheek into her hand, her elbow on the top of the couch. She gazed at him with accusing eyes.

Sasuke's hands twitched. "…She was." She'd even screamed at him in a way he'd never heard before.

"Was it really necessary to reject her?" Karin probed.

"Yes, it was."

He was being so stubborn. Karin poked his forehead. "You're such a dumbass," she said, her lips pulled in a small smile.

"…I know."

She sighed. "Did she cry?"

He seemed reluctant to answer. "…Yes," he finally said after a long moment's pause.

"Oh? I think she really likes you."

"She_ thinks_ she does," Sasuke told her.

"You need to take girls more seriously," Karin countered.

"She's _fifteen_." He obviously did not want to.

"You think you can't understand love when you're fifteen?"

He was reminded of his own teenage years. "I didn't like anybody when I was fifteen." When he was fifteen, he had been trying to push away his 'affliction', as he called his infatuation with his little sister, into the darkest recesses of his mind.

"Yeah? Well, I did." Karin's eyes seemed to soften at the memory. "I really, really liked him, too. Girls grow up fast, Sasuke. We're right damn mature when we start high school. Much more than you idiotic boys." She rose to her feet and started walking over towards the front door, from where she came in minutes earlier. "Well, I'll leave you to your thoughts, now. Sorry for barging in like this."

"Karin—"

She was quick to interrupt. "Oh, and we're over, by the way." She flashed a grin in his direction as she opened the door. "I can't be with a man in love with somebody else, can I? I'm not that self-sacrificing. Bye." She slipped outside and shut the door of Sasuke's apartment behind her.

He needed to do something for himself once in a while.

Karin strode towards the stairs, her hands in her pockets, humming a song she'd heard earlier on the radio today. One about a painful, unrequited love.

Well, as long as the stupid self-depriving bastard could be happy, she'd be okay.

The melody was pretty catchy. Karin made a mental note to download it later when she got back home.


	7. AUTHENTIC LOVE

[A/N] Lyrics from "Kimi ga ireba ~Beautiful Love~" sung by XIAH Junsu (another member from JYJ).

Yeah, so... This is the last chapter. o.O Unless I decide to write an epilogue… which I think is kind of necessary, actually, to really wrap this up.

* * *

><p><strong>先生の気持ち<strong>**  
>(sensei no kimochi)<strong>

- _teacher's feelings_ -

.

6. AUTHENTIC LOVE

_if I have you, if we're together, I can be myself  
><em>_even when the playful and carefree days pass, be by my side_

.

Sunday morning, Uchiha Sasuke got a phone call.

"Hello?" he answered, still sleep. He'd stayed up late last night, so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't been able to fall asleep until it was three in the morning. He glanced at the digital clock on his bedside table with tired eyes—it was 10:37 AM, way too early for a phone call.

"Sasuke-kun! Is this really you?" a cheery, familiar voice said.

He was suddenly shocked awake. He knew that voice. For a moment, he was silent as he tried to recall to whom the voice belonged. Then he asked hesitantly, "…Haruno-san?"

"Yes, it's me!" Sakura's mother replied. "And I've always told you to call me Okaa-san, didn't I?"

"Um… I don't think I'm comfortable with that idea, yet…"

"Why not? You're my son, blood-related or not."

Was she not aware of it? He had never thought he had a rightful place there in the Haruno household. He quickly changed the subject. "What's the reason for calling me, Haruno-san?"

"I haven't talked to you in years! Of course I would want to call my cute son after such a long disappearance. Well, that's the first reason. Actually, Sasuke-kun, I'm calling because I think Sakura's hasn't been well lately."

"Is that so…" Was that his fault?

"You were always the best at comforting her. Do you think you could help her a little bit?"

"Actually, I think the reason for her… er, it's my fault she's not well," Sasuke admitted. "So I don't think… I can comfort her right now."

"Oh, did she finally confess to you?" her mother asked.

Sasuke froze.

"She did, didn't she?" she probed.

He didn't know what to say to that. "I… How…?"

"A woman's intuition? Ah, just kidding. Well, she's pretty much been in love with you since the year you joined out family, you know."

"I… eh?" No, he did not know. Not at all.

"The whole reason she's been searching for you all these years was so she could confess to you. To be honest, she never told me explicitly, but I knew. She kept asking if I knew where you were, or where you want… I finally told her you went to Konoha Gakuen, even though it was supposed to be our secret. Sorry about that. But she immediately started studying for a scholarship there like crazy, trying to follow after you."

Sasuke was beyond shocked with this new information. "Why do you say she's in love with me, Haruno-san?" he asked.

"It's pretty obvious from the way she always gets so embarrassed whenever I talk about you. When she was younger she used to say she was going to marry you, too. She had a whole marriage planned out for the both of you, complete with dancing fairies, a thirteen-layer cake, and a big vow to love each other forever and ever even after death."

"Is that so…" A sickening feeling was growing in his stomach. Had Karin been right? Was he really just not taking Sakura seriously? Because he was afraid of hurting himself—in the end, that's what it amounted to, wasn't it? He was so afraid of his own love for her and that she would reject it when she grew older that he didn't even want to try to start. He was really still such a child, always trying to escape.

It was time to grow up.

"I'm sorry, Haruno-san, but I need to go," he said, his voice clear though his hand was shaking.

"Oh?" Her voice was teasing. She probably knew everything. Haruno-san had always been a very intuitive woman.

"I will… call you back later?" he said hesitantly.

"I'd like that," she answered sincerely. "Byebye, Sasuke-kun. Good luck."

Yes, she knew. "…Thank you. I will do my best." Sasuke shut his phone.

With only a moment's hesitation, he flipped it open again and pressed the buttons in a pattern he had unknowingly memorized. The number of his 'most precious person'.

Maybe he was a romantic in denial. Mostly, though, he was just a selfish idiot. But maybe those qualities could start changing today.

"Hello, Sakura? It's me. Nii-chan."

…

"Nii-chan!"

Sasuke turned to see a girl with choppy, shoulder-length hair quickly making her way down the stairs from the second story flight where her apartment was situated. For a moment, he couldn't recognize her until she got closer. Then he realized her hair was pink, the color of their favorite cherry blossoms.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Sakura?" he called out to her, hesitantly.

Out of breath, the girl bended down and put her hands on her knees, panting for a few seconds before she looked up and smiled. "It's me." She stood up straight and took a pinch of her hair between her fingers and looked at it ruefully. "I cut my hair. Does it suit me?"

It did. The haircut gave her a mature, sophisticated appearance. Yes, it suited her very, very well, though her waist-length flowing hair would be missed. But this… "When did you cut it?" Sasuke asked softly. He stuffed his hands in his pockets to resist himself from reaching out and feeling the texture of the new hairstyle for himself.

"I cut it myself yesterday. Naruto showed me where I could buy some hair scissors since I still don't really know my way around yet."

"Aa…" What was he supposed to say to that?

There was a small silence as they looked at each other's feet.

"You called right when I was about to call you myself," Sakura spoke up hastily. "I have a few things I want to say to you."

Sasuke gave her a small smile. "I do, as well."

"Well, I want to go first before I forget everything," she said, green eyes both wary and proud.

"Then shoot." He leaned against the wall of her apartment building and let her begin.

"Okay." She took in a deep breath before she began in a rush, "I'm sorry for exploding at you Friday night. I was really upset. But—" She looked up at him, her green eyes defiant. "I will not stop liking you. To me, every bit of this is love." She put a hand over her chest, where her heart laying beating. "What I feel for you is definitely love. I have loved you since I was a kid, and hearing you say I don't know what love is really hurt me. Sure, maybe to you, this doesn't seem like love, but to me… this is all I know. To me, this is love in any angle I look at it."

Sasuke's inky eyes were unreadable, but he was listening attentively to every word.

She continued in a burst, "You might not accept me now, but I'm going to keep trying. I know what I feel for you isn't just sisterly affection, or whatever. I want to prove to you this is real, authentic love." She reached up and ran a hand through her hair. "This is the significance of cutting my hair. A new start. I will not depend on our past relationship to force you to spend time with me anymore. I'm going to work hard with my own strength." She looked up with a warm smile. "And I will make you fall in love with me myself, so much you will never look at another girl again. This is my new future… So, what do you think?"

He let his lips curve into a smirk. "You're still such a child, Sakura," he admonished her gently.

"I know." She put her hands on her hips. "But I will do my best… _Sasuke-kun_." She looked up at him with a proud look in her eyes.

"No more _Nii-chan_?" Sasuke asked.

"No. From today, I want you to look at me as… as a woman. Even if that sounds really stupid. But I don't want to be your little sister anymore, N—Sasuke-kun." She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "It's a habit that's hard to break, but… Ahh, well, I want to show you my new self… and I hope you'll accept me some day. I'll chase you until you do."

He had not expected this kind of a development at all. But, it wasn't a bad thing. He was relieved, actually, that this girl still claimed to love him, or else this visit would have been useless. "Sakura, is it my turn to talk?" he asked her.

"Huh?" She looked up, looking a little surprised. "Um, sure."

He sighed. This was a little awkward to say, but… "I want to say sorry. I made you angry, and I made you cry… So… I'm sorry." He looked away, staring at a crack in the road to the left of his feet. "If you hate me for that, I understand."

"I could never hate you, Nii—Sasuke-kun!" she quickly protested.

"Aa? That's good." He closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. "But about how you feel towards me… How do you really feel, Sakura? Do you think you will love me in three years from now, five years from now, ten years from now?"

"Yes! Because what I feel is love. Definitely," she answered him confidently. "I love you, Sasuke-kun, and I will, up until death and even after."

He put his hands on her shoulders and met her eyes. "I am going to be frank with you, Sakura. I cannot accept your confession." She opened her mouth to retort but he hushed her with a finger against her lips. "But!" He replaced the hand on her shoulder. "I will listen to you once you've officially graduated from Konoha Gakuen."

Sakura's green eyes widened.

"But, listen to me, now. I am not going to touch you. I'm not going to kiss you. I will not take you on dates or bring you anywhere as long as you remain my student and I your teacher." He gripped her shoulders tightly and peered into the shimmering emerald gaze. "Do you understand? We will not do anything passing the border of what is appropriate."

Sakura simply smiled back at him. "Didn't I make it clear already? I love you, Sasuke-kun. And I always will, up until graduation and after. Three years is nothing, when I've already loved you for ten." And only now was it bearing fruit. She really had tremendous patience.

"Do you honestly think you will still love me when you're eighteen years old?" he questioned her, probing her further, gauging her reactions.

"Yes." Her answer was confident, because she knew she would. "And I am going to chase you until you accept my confession."

Sasuke relaxed his grip and dropped his hands from her slim shoulders. "In three years, maybe I'll consider letting you catch me," he replied, chuckling. He was still escaping from his fears, just a bit, but this was a step in the right direction. He would allow them time to check their feelings. Maybe her feelings would fade, or maybe even his over the course of the next three years, but this was a chance to test their true feelings. And if both sincerely put in their efforts, their reward…

"Well, I will wait for you to grow up some more. It's not your fault if you forget about me, and I won't blame you for making me wait, but…" Sasuke turned away and started walking away. "I'll be angry if you forget. That's why I gave you that bracelet before I left."

Sakura glanced down on the silver bracelet with its dangling cherry blossom, then looked up to watch him, her expression full of disbelief. The bracelet had served its purpose; not a day had gone by since his disappearance when she didn't think about him, and eventually, she had found him. He was giving her a chance, finally, after years of waiting.

And she would definitely, definitely, definitely prove to him she was worth it.

So she lifted her hands to her mouth, and shouted to the retreating figure, "Thank you, Uchiha-sensei!"

She couldn't be sure from where she stood, but she thought she saw him laughing as he turned the corner and disappeared.

She dropped her hands and started walking back up the stairs. She would do her homework, and take a nice, long bath, then make a grand dinner for herself to finish off the day. And then tomorrow would be a new day, one where she could see him at the front of the classroom from her desk—a distance that would, eventually, be closed with her effort and the passing of time. And maybe sometimes their eyes would meet, and they could pass a secret smile or two. And maybe she would even get him to break his vow to never touch her every once in a while.

Maybe some day they would even kiss! The very thought made her cheeks blush as she stepped into her apartment.

But, of course, she was willing to wait—if that was what it took to be with him. She would give up everything for that. She had been waiting for years, and finally, a light at the end of the tunnel had appeared. It was one far off, but it was there, and that gave her the courage to continue.

She would sprint to that light with everything she had.

And finally, they would get the happy ending both of them had always been waiting for.

.

.

**END.**

.

* * *

><p>[AN] Thank you all for reading! This wasn't the best story I've ever done… it didn't get enough of my attention/time so I couldn't really develop it the way I wanted to and it kind of ended up sucking (yeah, don't try to be nice and argue that). Still, it was fun to write and seeing my readers' reactions was an interesting experience. I appreciate every review, favorite, and story alert. Really, you don't know how flattering it was to see that people actually liked this.

Someday I might end up rewriting it… this was actually intended to be a one-shot but I decided to spread the story out among a few short chapters. That's why it feels like the ending is really sudden… Sorry. The characters weren't developed very much and the plot's a little...

Regardless, thanks again! You are all AWESOME. I love each and every one of you. Dearly. Really, I'm so grateful you bothered to read this; as the author, I am very content.

One question, though: Should I write an epilogue? XD


	8. EPILOGUE

[A/N] I am seriously considering writing a sequel to this, in which Sakura's high school life will be chronicled up until her graduation (/wedding? XD). I won't promise anything, but there's a pretty good chance it might happen.

I've already started work on another sasusaku AU fic (Shelter from the Rain) which is going to be much longer than this one, though, so I really don't know when or if I'll be able to start the sequel. We'll see.

In any case, I did write a (rather long) epilogue for this! Yay! Hope it satisfies you guys just a little bit. SASUSAKU SWEETNESS ALERT! Happy reading~

* * *

><p><strong>先生の気持ち<strong>**  
><strong>**(sensei no kimochi)**

_- teacher's feelings -_

_._

EPILOGUE

.

He'd watched over her for more than ten years, but just looking at her today made his heart race wildly in his chest, threatening to burst as he sat in his chair on stage and oversaw the graduation ceremony.

He watched the girl he had loved for more than half his life take her diploma with shaking fingers and exchange bows with the principal; watched her as she turned and beamed at the clapping audience; watched as her emerald gaze sweeped the crowd and suddenly met with his for a timeless moment before she turned and walked to the end of the stage.

Sasuke's pale lips curved into a smile as Haruno Sakura, eighteen years old and now an official graduate of Konoha Gakuen, stepped down from the huge stage outside and walked over to her place by the other graduated students. She politely kept her face turned towards the other students receiving their diplomas, but her vision wasn't focused on them.

Instead, her eyes were locked with the dark gaze of her first-year homeroom teacher.

They smiled at each other, a secretive little smile, before looking away and giving their attention to the ceremony as they should.

The rest of proceedings were done in order, complete with the usual speeches and collective singing of the national anthem. Soon enough the entire graduating class were standing together as they turned their tassels, switching them to the left side. They then gleefully filed out to a wider area and threw their caps in the air for a picture. Sakura laughed as Naruto threw his with extra fervor, sending it more than ten feet in the air.

And as soon as they got the chance to escape, Sakura snuck away from the rest of the cheering graduates with Uchiha-sensei back into the school. They were holding hands, she noticed with glee, as they hurried inside and hid themselves in the first empty classroom. They shut the door behind them and sat on the floor against it.

They took a moment to pause and catch their breath before throwing themselves at each other into a tight embrace.

"I'm to assume you still love me?" he asked between pants, his lips beside her ear.

She grinned and pulled away enough to look into his eyes. "I've kept my promise well, haven't I, Sasuke-kun?"

He wrapped a hand into the soft strands of her pink hair. "Yes, you did… Sakura."

"Will you reward me, then?"

Without another word, he pressed his lips to hers. It was a sweet, gentle touch. Sakura threw her arms around his neck, urging him closer. He laughed a little bit, breaking their kiss momentarily, then tipped her chin up.

"That was your reward… So, shall I punish you this time?" he asked, the deep voice taunting. "You've made me feel jealous a couple times these past three years, Sakura." He pressed his lips to her cheek, then her nose, then her jaw. "I'm a little angry."

"Oh, yes please!" she answered, sounding too eager. "Punish me!" He chuckled at the sight of her flushed face and bright green eyes.

"You make me sound like a pervert," he said with a sigh. But he acquiesced, and she responded.

It was just a kiss, but… it was so much more.

.

.

"Will you marry me?"

"Are you stupid, Sasuke? Of course I will!"

.

.

"Ne, Sasuke, look at this!"

"Aa?" The dark-haired man walked over to the couch and loosely wrapped his arms around the woman who was sitting there. He peered at the square of shiny thick paper she was holding delicately in her hands. The gold ring on her finger glimmered under the light. "What is it, Sakura?" he asked curiously.

"It's a photo, silly," she said, and tucked a loose strand of pink hair behind her ear. "From my graduation! Remember that?"

"Aa… That." He did. He'd grabbed her hand as soon as they'd gotten the chance and they'd run away, escaping into the school and sharing a flurry of hot kisses. Sasuke's face flushed a light pink at the memory. As a teacher, that had been seriously inappropriate behavior to commit on school grounds, but he hadn't been able to hold back after longing to touch her for so long.

His wife's voice interrupted his reminiscing. "You're such a naughty teacher. I wonder what your students would say if I told them what you did to me your first year of teaching?"

Sasuke paled. That would be very, very bad. He could just imagine all too clearly what the taunting class clown Konohamaru would do. "You wouldn't." He'd already dealt with Uzumaki Naruto as a student; if Konohamaru knew the embarrassing things he'd done…

"No, I wouldn't," she agreed, laughing. Sasuke relaxed. "Or about your third year, either." She shook the photo for emphasis. "Oh, the things you did to me that day."

"It was just a kiss—"

"Just a kiss?" Sakura repeated, looking up at him with a mischievous grin.

Sasuke fell into an embarrassed silence. As a teacher, he probably shouldn't have 'making out' with a fresh graduate in an empty classroom like that, but…

"Well, I still enjoyed it," she said with a shrug, turning back to the photo. There she was, eighteen years old and wearing her black robe, Sasuke on her left and her mother on the right. Nobody could tell, because of her black robe's long sleeve, but in this photo she was holding her teacher's hand. "Ah, I used to be such an innocent girl. I can't believe I graduated only four years ago."

Sasuke smiled a little, and reached down so he could place his hands lightly over Sakura's stomach. "I've taught you a lot of things since then, haven't I?"

"Oh, you're dirty!" she scolded him, but she was laughing. She put her free hand over his and held it close to the small bump there.

"I wonder if it's a boy or girl?" Sasuke murmured into his wife's ear.

Sakura hummed. "Who knows?"

"Should we let it be a surprise?"

"Mm, yeah. It'd be fun that way, wouldn't it?"

Without another word, they turned to look at each other. They smiled for a moment, then pressed their lips together in quick, chaste kiss.

"Thank you for my child, Sakura," he said, pulling away.

She reached up and pinched his cheek with a toothy grin, at which he groaned. "Thank _you _for being so hot! My kid's going to be gorgeous!"

"You just ruined our moment, there," he commented, with a little sigh. He rubbed his cheek, where a bright red spot was forming.

Sakura just shrugged. "We have our entire life ahead of us to have _moments_, Sasuke," she said with a smile, and playfully squeezed his nose between her finger and thumb. She apparently enjoyed creating random spots of red on his pale face.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at her statement, and for a moment they were quiet as Sakura carefully put her graduation photo back into the photo album that lay on the table in front of the couch. Then, laughing, she grabbed his black tie and pulled him down so she could kiss him again.

"I love you," she said, when they broke apart.

Sasuke sighed. His wife was such a whimsical person. "I love you, too."

"You should head over to school, now, if you don't want to be late." She got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen. "Don't you dare cheat on me with some student, now," she said as she came back holding a thermos full of black coffee and his black bag.

"I won't. Do you trust me so little?" As if he would even glance at a girl other than this one right here, he mused. Didn't she realize she'd been constantly on his mind ever since she was only six years old?

"Hey, you ended up with me, after all."

He cocked his head a little. "But you're special," he said, meeting her green gaze.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't flatter me. Here."

Sasuke took the briefcase and coffee his wife was holding out for him. "Thanks," he said. He looked at her longingly. If he hadn't had his hands full, he would've liked to caress her. His fingers ached to touch the pink skin of her slightly flushed cheeks.

She did it, instead. She ran her fingers along the side of his face gently; he reveled at her soft touch. "Time for you to go," she said. "Tsunade-sama will murder me if you get there late."

"Wouldn't I be the one to get murdered?" he inquired.

"No, she still thinks that everything that happened between us is my fault. She still technically hasn't approved of our marriage yet. Remember how she yelled how impudent it was for me, a student, to seduce a teacher?"

"We've been married for two years, now."

"Tsunade-sama is more stubborn than I am."

Sasuke's lips twitched into a small smile. "The woman loves you, you know."

"That's exactly why she's so harsh on me. Anyway, get going, or she really will come after me! Oh, and about dinner… What do you want to eat?"

His reply was immediate. "Onigiri with _katsuobushi,_" he answered.

Sakura shook her head. Sasuke loved her handmade riceballs too much. "No way. Naruto and Hinata are coming tonight, remember?"

"I'm sure they would be perfectly happy with your onigiri."

She just sighed and pushed him towards the door. "Don't be late and come back safely," she called, as he headed out. "And _I'll_ be deciding what dinner is."

"Fine," he replied, a little childishly. "Make me onigiri some for a snack, then."

She laughed. "_Okay,_ okay. Have fun at work, Sasuke!"

He smiled, and Sakura watched her husband get into the car and pull out of the driveway before she closed the door of their house. Humming her favorite love song, she headed to the kitchen to start cooking the rice. Her plans for today were to drop by the school today and visit Tsunade-sama in her office and surprise Sasuke by bringing a handmade bento for him to eat during lunch.

She grinned. She would pop into the classroom and squeal like a crazy fangirl and embarrass him in front of all his students. That would be fun. And she would especially make clear to the female students of the fact that _she_ was his wife and _she_ was the one he had chosen as his lifetime partner. All her hard work and patience had paid off, and he had finally proposed to her two years ago with a beautiful and simple diamond ring.

_This is our happy ending_, she thought happily as she tied her favorite blue and pink-checkered apron around her waist.

And it could only get better from here.

.

_._

_._

"Will you really love me forever?"

"Are you stupid, Sakura? Of course I will."

"Okay. Then I guess I'll love you forever, too."

"You idiot."

"I love you, too."

.

.

_(and so, __they __lived __**happily **__ever __after.)_

.

_Thank you for reading!_


End file.
